Download PDF
Int J Sports Med 2017; 38(13): 1009-1016
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-118342
Training & Testing
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Time Course Change in Muscle Swelling: High-Intensity vs. Blood Flow Restriction Exercise

Eduardo D.S. Freitas
1   Health & Exercise Science, University of Oklahoma, Norman, United States
,
Christopher Poole
2   Department of Health and Exercise Science, University of Oklahoma, Norman, United States
,
Ryan M. Miller
1   Health & Exercise Science, University of Oklahoma, Norman, United States
,
Aaron David Heishman
1   Health & Exercise Science, University of Oklahoma, Norman, United States
,
Japneet Kaur
1   Health & Exercise Science, University of Oklahoma, Norman, United States
,
Debra A. Bemben
3   Department of Health and Exercise Science, University of Oklahoma Norman, Norman, United States
,
Michael Bemben
1   Health & Exercise Science, University of Oklahoma, Norman, United States
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History



accepted after revision 02 August 2017

Publication Date:
01 October 2017 (online)

Also available at
    Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

This study determined the time course for changes in muscle swelling and plasma volume following high (HI) and low-intensity resistance exercise with blood-flow restriction (LI-BFR). Ten male participants (22.1±3.0 yrs) completed three experimental conditions: high-intensity exercise (HI - 80% of 1RM), low-intensity exercise with BFR (LI-BFR –20% of 1RM, and 160 mmHg of BFR), and control (CON – no exercise or BFR). Muscle cross-sectional area (mCSA), muscle thickness, thigh circumference, and percentage change in plasma volume (PV%∆) were measured. mCSA was significantly greater than rest values at 15 min post-exercise (p<0.01) for HI and LI-BFR, and at 75 min post-exercise (p<0.01) for HI. Muscle thickness was significantly greater than rest immediately post-exercise (p<0.01) and 30 min post-exercise (p<0.01) for HI and LI-BFR, and at 60 min post-exercise for HI (p=0.01). Muscle thickness was greater for BFR immediately post-exercise compared to HI (p=0.01) post-exercise. Thigh circumference was significantly greater from rest at 15 min post-exercise (p=0.01) and at 75 min post-exercise for both LI-BFR (p=0.03) and HI (p<0.01). PV%∆ significantly decreased from rest immediately post-exercise for both HI (p<0.01) and LI-BFR (p<0.01). In conclusion, BFR exercise induces changes in muscle swelling and plasma volume similar to those observed at high-intensities.

Key words

occlusion training - strength exercise - cell swelling - hematocrit - pQCT - ultrasound
 

  • References

  • 1 Abe T, Beekley MD, Hinata S, Koizumi K, Sato Y. Day-to-day change in muscle strength and MRI-measured skeletal muscle size during 7 days KAATSU resistance training: A case study. Int J KAATSU Train Res 2005; 1: 71-76
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 2 Abe T, Yasuda T, Midorikawa T, Sato Y, Kearns CF, Inoue K, Koizumi K, Ishii N. Skeletal muscle size and circulating IGF-1 are increased after two weeks of twice daily “KAATSU” resistance training. Int J KAATSU Train Res 2005; 1: 6-12
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 3 Ahtiainen JP, Pakarinen A, Alen M, Kraemer WJ, Häkkinen K. Muscle hypertrophy, hormonal adaptations and strength development during strength training in strength-trained and untrained men. Eur J Appl Physiol 2003; 89: 555-563
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 4 ASCM, Donnelly JE, Blair SN, Jakicic JM, Manore MM, Rankin JW, Smith BK. ASCM. American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. Appropriate physical activity intervention strategies for weight loss and prevention of weight regain for adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2009; 41: 459-471
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 5 Van Beaumont W. Evaluation of hemoconcentration from hematocrit measurements. J Appl Physiol 1972; 32: 712-713
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 6 Brenner IKM, Natale VM, Vasiliou P, Moldoveanu AI, Shek PN, Shephard RJ. Impact of three different types of exercise on components of the inflammatory response. Eur J Appl Physiol 1999; 80: 452-460
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 7 Bryk FF, dos Reis AC, Fingerhut D, Araujo T, Schutzer M, Cury R de PL, Duarte A, Fukuda TY. Exercises with partial vascular occlusion in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A randomized clinical trial. Knee Surgery. Sport Traumatol Arthrosc 2016; 24: 1580-1586
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 8 Cleak MJ, Eston RG. Muscle soreness, swelling, stiffness and strength loss after intense eccentric exercise. Br J Sports Med 1992; 26: 267-272
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 9 Cramer JT, Palmer IJ, Ryan ED, Herda TJ, Bemben DA, Bemben MG, Stratemeier PH. Validity and reliability of a peripheral quantitative computed tomography scanner for measuring muscle cross-sectional area. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2007; 39: S225-S226
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 10 Fatela P, Reis JF, Mendonca GV, Avela J, Mil-Homens P. Acute effects of exercise under different levels of blood-flow restriction on muscle activation and fatigue. Eur J Appl Physiol 2016; 116: 985-995
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 11 Fry CS, Glynn EL, Drummond MJ, Timmerman KL, Fujita S, Abe T, Dhanani S, Volpi E, Rasmussen BB. Blood flow restriction exercise stimulates mTORC1 signaling and muscle protein synthesis in older men. J Appl Physiol 2010; 108: 1199-1209
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 12 Gibala MJ, MacDougall JD, Tarnopolsky MA, Stauber WT, Elorriaga A. Changes in human skeletal muscle ultrastructure and force production after acute resistance exercise. J Appl Physiol 1995; 78: 702-708
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 13 Gøran P, Haakon BB, Inger S-G, Lars M, Knut Tore L, Truls R. Delayed Leukocytosis and Cytokine Response to High-Force Eccentric Exercise. Med Sci Sport Exerc 2005; 37: 1877-1883
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 14 Harriss D, Atkinson G. Ethical Standards in Sport and Exercise Science Research: 2016 Update. Int J Sports Med 2015; 36: 1121-1124
    Article in Thieme ConnectPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 15 Hulmi JJ, Kovanen V, Selänne H, Kraemer WJ, Häkkinen K, Mero AA. Acute and long-term effects of resistance exercise with or without protein ingestion on muscle hypertrophy and gene expression. Amino Acids 2009; 37: 297-308
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 16 Jenkins NDM, Housh TJ, Bergstrom HC, Cochrane KC, Hill EC, Smith CM, Johnson GO, Schmidt RJ, Cramer JT. Muscle activation during three sets to failure at 80 vs. 30 % 1RM resistance exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol 2015; 115: 2335-2347
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 17 Kanda K, Sugama K, Hayashida H, Sakuma J, Kawakami Y, Miura S, Yoshioka H, Mori Y, Suzuki K. Eccentric exercise-induced delayed-onset muscle soreness and changes in markers of muscle damage and inflammation. Exerc Immunol Rev 2013; 19: 72-85
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 18 Karabulut M, Sherk VD, Bemben DA, Bemben MG. Inflammation marker, damage marker and anabolic hormone responses to resistance training with vascular restriction in older males. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging 2013; 33: 393-399
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 19 Kraemer WJ, Marchitelli L, Gordon SE, Harman E, Dziados JE, Mello R, Frykman P, Mccurry D, Fleck SJ. Hormonal and growth factor responses to heavy resistance exercise protocols. J Appl Physiol 1990; 69: 1442-1450
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 20 Kubota A, Sakuraba K, Koh S, Ogura Y, Tamura Y. Blood flow restriction by low compressive force prevents disuse muscular weakness. J Sci Med Sport 2011; 14: 95-99
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 21 Kubota N, Takano H, Tsutsumi T, Kurano M, Iida H, Yasuda T, Meguro K, Morita T, Sato Y, Kawashima S, Yamazaki Y, Ohshima H, Tachibana S, Ishii N, Abe T, Nakajima T. Resistance exercise combined with KAATSU during simulated weightlessness. Int J KAATSU Train Res 2008; 4: 9-15
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 22 Laurentino GC, Ugrinowitsch C, Roschel H, Aoki MS, Soares AG, Neves M, Aihara AY, Fernandes ADRC, Tricoli V. Strength training with blood flow restriction diminishes myostatin gene expression. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2012; 44: 406-412
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 23 Loenneke JP, Fahs CA, Thiebaud RS, Rossow LM, Abe T, Ye X, Kim D, Bemben MG. The acute muscle swelling effects of blood flow restriction. Acta Physiol Hung 2012; 99: 400-410
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 24 Loenneke JP, Kim D, Fahs CA, Thiebaud RS, Abe T, Larson RD, Bemben DA, Bemben MG. The influence of exercise load with and without different levels of blood flow restriction on acute changes in muscle thickness and lactate. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging 2016
    PubMed
  • 25 Loenneke JP, Thiebaud RS, Fahs CA, Rossow LM, Abe T, Bemben MG. Blood flow restriction does not result in prolonged decrements in torque. Eur J Appl Physiol 2013; 113: 923-931
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 26 Loenneke JPP, Fahs CAA, Rossow LMM, Abe T, Bemben MGG. The anabolic benefits of venous blood flow restriction training may be induced by muscle cell swelling. Med Hypotheses 2012; 78: 151-154
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 27 Lowery RP, Joy JM, Loenneke JP, de Souza EO, Machado M, Dudeck JE, Wilson JM. Practical blood flow restriction training increases muscle hypertrophy during a periodized resistance training programme. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging 2014; 34: 317-321
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 28 Manini TM, Yarrow JF, Buford TW, Clark BC, Conover CF, Borst SE. Growth hormone responses to acute resistance exercise with vascular restriction in young and old men. Growth Horm IGF Res 2012; 22: 167-172
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 29 Mitchell CJ, Churchward-Venne TA, West DWD, Burd NA, Breen L, Baker SK, Phillips SM. Resistance exercise load does not determine training-mediated hypertrophic gains in young men. J Appl Physiol 2012; 113: 71-77
    Google Scholar
  • 30 Nakajima T, Kurano M, Sakagami F, Iida H, Fukumura K, Fukuda T, Takano H, Madarame H, Yasuda T, Nagata T, Sato Y, Yamasoba T, Morita T. Effects of low-intensity KAATSU resistance training on skeletal muscle size/strength and endurance capacity in patients with ischemic heart disease. Int J KAATSU Train Res 2010; 6: 1-7
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 31 Nakajima T, Yasuda T, Koide S, Yamasoba T, Obi S, Toyoda S, Sato Y, Inoue T, Kano Y. Repetitive restriction of muscle blood flow enhances mTOR signaling pathways in a rat model. Heart Vessels 2016; 31: 1685-1695
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 32 Nosaka K, Clarkson PM. Changes in indicators of inflammation after eccentric exercise of the elbow flexors. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1996; 28: 953-961
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 33 Phillips SM, Tipton KD, Aarsland A, Wolf SE, Wolfe RR. Mixed muscle protein synthesis and breakdown after resistance exercise in humans. Am J Physiol 1997; 273: E99-107
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 34 Reeves GV, Kraemer RR, Hollander DB, Clavier J, Thomas C, Francois M, Castracane VD. Comparison of hormone responses following light resistance exercise with partial vascular occlusion and moderately difficult resistance exercise without occlusion. J Appl Physiol 2005; 101: 1616-1622
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 35 Serrano AL, Baeza-Raja B, Perdiguero E, Jardí M, Muñoz-Cánoves P. Interleukin-6 Is an Essential regulator of satellite cell-mediated skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Cell Metab 2008; 7: 33-44
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 36 Seynnes OR, De Boer M, Narici MV. Early skeletal muscle hypertrophy and architectural changes in response to high-intensity resistance training. J Appl Physiol 2013; 102: 368-373
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 37 Sherk VD, Sherk KA, Kim S, Young KC, Bemben DA. Hormone responses to a continuous bout of rock climbing in men. Eur J Appl Physiol 2011; 111: 687-693
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 38 Spiering Ba, Kraemer WJ, Anderson JM, Armstrong LE, Nindl BC, Volek JS, Maresh CM. Resistance exercise biology. Sport Med 2008; 38: 527-540
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 39 Stewart LK, Flynn MG, Campbell WW, Craig BA, Paul Robinson J, Timmerman KL, Mcfarlin BK, Coen PM, Talbert E, Stewart A, Flynn MG, Campbell WW, Craig BA, Robinson JP, Timmerman KL, Mcfarlin BK, Coen PM, Talbert E. The influence of exercise training on inflammatory cytokines and C – reactive protein. Med Sci Sport Exerc 2007; 39: 1714-1719
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 40 Takarada Y, Nakamura Y, Aruga S, Onda T, Miyazaki S, Ishii N. Rapid increase in plasma growth hormone after low-intensity resistance exercise with vascular occlusion. J Appl Physiol 2000; 88: 61-65
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 41 Takarada Y, Sato Y, Ishii N. Effects of resistance exercise combined with vascular occlusion on muscle function in athletes. Eur J Appl Physiol 2014; 86: 308-314
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 42 Takarada Y, Takazawa H, Ishii N. Applications of vascular occlusion diminish disuse atrophy of knee extensor muscles. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2000; 32: 2035-2039
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 43 Thiebaud R, Loenneke J, Fahs C, Kim D, Ye X, Abe T, Nosaka K, Bemben M. Muscle damage after low-intensity eccentric contractions with blood flow restriction. Acta Physiol Hung 2014; 101: 150-157
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 44 Vechin FC, Libardi CA, Conceição MS, Nogueira FRD, Lixandrão ME, Berton R, Tricoli V, Roschel H, Cavaglieri CR, Chacon-Mikahil MPT, Ugrinowitsch C. Comparisons between low-intensity resistance training with blood flow restriction and high-intensity resistance training on quadriceps muscle mass and strength in elderly. J Strength Cond Res 2014; 29: 1071-1076
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 45 West DWD, Kujbida GW, Moore DR, Atherton P, Burd NA, Padzik JP, De Lisio M, Tang JE, Parise G, Rennie MJ, Baker SK, Phillips SM. Resistance exercise-induced increases in putative anabolic hormones do not enhance muscle protein synthesis or intracellular signalling in young men. J Physiol 2009; 587: 5239-5247
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 46 Wilkinson SB, Tarnopolsky MA, Grant EJ, Correia CE, Phillips SM. Hypertrophy with unilateral resistance exercise occurs without increases in endogenous anabolic hormone concentration. Eur J Appl Physiol 2006; 98: 546-555
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 47 Yasuda T, Brechue WF, Fujita T, Sato Y, Abe T. Muscle activation during low-intensity muscle contractions with varying levels of external limb compression. J Sports Sci Med 2008; 7: 467-474
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 48 Yasuda T, Brechue WF, Fujita T, Shirakawa J, Sato Y, Abe T. Muscle activation during low-intensity muscle contractions with restricted blood flow. J Sports Sci 2009; 27: 479-489
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 49 Yasuda T, Fukumura K, Iida H, Nakajima T. Effect of low-load resistance exercise with and without blood flow restriction to volitional fatigue on muscle swelling. Eur J Appl Physiol 2015; 115: 919-926
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar